Gravity-lock.



A. W. EKBBRG.

GRAVITY LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1911.

1,053, 1 24, Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

I I 136 I a6 H -52 2 as III/III 1/ I7 Gravity-Locks,

0F JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK.

ARVID W. EK'BERG,

GRAVITY-100K.

Patented Feb. 11,1913. Serial No. 617,890.

Specification of Letters Patent:

Application filed March 30, 1911. 1

series of locks and showing the latches and keepersfor the bolts; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one of the latches at line Y Y in Fig. '2, showing the keepers and the bolt in normal locked position; and Fig. 1 is a similar sectional View showing the gravity action of the latches or keepers in the process of engaging the bol Fig. 5 is a sectional view at line Z Z of the latch at the top of the door.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Anvrn W. EKBERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at J amestown,"in the county of Chautauqua and-State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in of, which the following,

taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact .description.

The invention relates to door locks and the Like numerals of reference refer to cor- "ob'ects of my improvementflare, first, to proresponding parts in the several views.-

vi e a gravity lock for fire-proof swing The numeral 10 indicates the door, and doors which is positive or absolute in its the numeral 11 the edge of an adjacent door, action, so that intense heat cannot cause door jamb or casing, which parts are here failure of locking action, and toward this shown as constructed of hollow sheet metal,

' end there is entire omission of all springs or and the bolt and latchor keeper mechanisms arts whose power to act could be overcome are inserted within the same in suitable by intense heat; and second, to provide a openings in the edges of the parts. plurality of novel locks operable from a The lock is preferably composed of a plucommon center I or master lock and from rality of parts according to the size and more either side of the door. The action of the particularly the height of the door. Doors lock is accomplished entirely by a weight for fire walls in shops and foundries oftand bell-crank over which intense heat has times reach the height of 12 to 15 feet. For no effect. The lock is shown applied to a such doors it is apparent that a series of d.00l' of sheet metal construction in which auxiliary locks are necessary above, and the hollow sheet metal gives ample room for sometimes below the main lock 12. Thus,

the action of the parts. It is apparent, howfor example, in an extra large door the main ever, that a wooden cored, or. sheeted door lock 12 is placed at the usual height, addimay be channeled along the face of the stile tional locks 13 may be arranged along the to allow use of the connecting parts of the edge of the door as needed and a lock It is plurality of locks within the door, and also placed at the top of the door. A look within the door jamb for the keeper mechasimilar to lock 13 may be placed below lock nism; or the parts may be applied with a 12 and operated in a manner hereinafter set casing suitable for attachment on the outforth. 4

side of the door, the same as a rim lock. The main lock 12 is provided with a bolt The plurality of locks are rendered neces- 15 which is made in the form of an ensary in order tosecurely hold the door along larged plate 16 within the casing 17 of its front edge very much as it is held along the lock. 'An opening 18 is provided in the rear edge by its hinges, as against the plate 16 having a straight side 19. A cross warping power of intense heat. It is apshaft 20 extends through lock 12 through parent that if the door was only locked atopening 18 and a roll-back plate 21 is at- I one, point midway of its height, the upper tached to shaft 20 within opening 18. The

- and lower corners of a metallic door might plate 21 is considerably smaller than openbe warped out of shape by the intense heat ing 18 except upon the side 19, which plate and thereby allow the flames to enter 21- bears squarely against so that when shaft through the opening so made. This would 20 is turned in either direction by means destroy its "fireproof quality. By arranging ofknob 22, plate21'will cause bolt 15 to I apl'urality of locks or latches at the side, move toward therear of the lock, thereby '-top .or bottom of the door, this danger is withdrawing bolt 15-within the door 10.v entirely overcome. I The lock .12 is. connected to and operates In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional locks 13 and 14 by means of a double bell view at line X X in Fig. 2, showing the crank'23, which is pivotally attached to the arrangement of the lock; Fig. 2 is a vertical casing 17 and 24, and the rod orlink 25 is pivotally attached to an arm of bell crank sectional view of the door edge through a 1t moves up and down.

23 at 26 and extends to bell cranks 31 in looks 13 and 14.

The lock 14 consists of the upper end of rod 25, which is formed in the shape of a bolt 27 and has a latch or keeper 28 pivota-lly attached within the casing 29 by the pin 30. I

The locks or latches 13 cranks 31 which are pivotally attached at 32 to the casing of the lock 13- and at 33 to rod 25 and at 34 toa bolt 35.

The double bell crank 23 has an arm 36 consist of the bell xtending up therefrom and slidably e11- g ng beneath a.

strap 37 or within an opening in the plate 16 of bolt 15. A second rod 38 is pivotally attached at 39 to the" opposite end of crank plate 23 and bears thgireon the weight su 38 may onlysupport the Weight 40-or may be extended to a lock or looks in the lower portion of the door similar to looks 13 or 14. A staple 41 is provided through which rod 38 extends to guide the weight 40 as I The weight 40 is sufficiently heavy to normally hold the bolts 15, 35 and 27 he extended position beyond the edge of the door 10'and the only manner in'which said bolts can be withdrawn from this normal position is by turning knob 22 and shaft cranks 23 through rod 25 and withdrawing the bolts from their extended position. It is obvious, however, that when said bolts are so withdrawn as soon as the shaft 20 is. released the weight 40 will cause the cranks and bolts-to return to saidnormal position." It isalso apparent that the links 25 and 38 may be'extended and pivotally attached to any series of locks along the edge the outer ends of said,

The bell crank 23 is preferablyof suflicient length and the weight 40 of sufficient size The bolts-15 by keepers or latches 42 and 43 which are pivotally mounted a spaced distance apart on the adjacent double door or door jamb 11. The upper keeper 42 .is pivotally'attached to the supporting plate at 44 at its rear end and the front end has a downwardly projecting catch '45 to engage the front keeper 43 is pivotally attached at 46 to the supporting plate and has an upwardly extending front catch 47 'to 20, thereby simultanetop or bottom of the door.

corner of thebolt 15 or 35. The-lower.

engage the front side of bolts 15 or 35. The oppositely inclined rear ends of these two keepers are turned toward one another in order to preserve a straight draw on the bolt so that the catches 45 and 47 will not slip or-draw off from the bolt, but will preserve a posivative engagement therewith. Each of the keepers 42 and 43 have an inclined front face to the catches 45 and 47 which is engaged by the rear side of the bolt as the door is closed, the inner edges of the bolt are rounded so that as the bolt strikes the inclined faces of the keepers it will press the two keepers apart and pass between the same. It is apparent that the upper latch 42 will fall of its own weight and its front end is caught by an inwardly projecting lip 48 on the door, which lip holds it in positionwhen the bolt is withdrawn. The lower keeper '43 is operated by a weight lever 49 which is pivotally attached at 50 to the supporting plate and has a leverage on the under sideof latch 43 to allow the latch sufficient movement to escape the bolt as it presses through between the latch parts, the outer end of latch 43 engages a lip 51 on the door similar to lip 48 and for a similar purpose. The single latch or keeper 28 in lock or latch 14 is all that is necessary to hold bolt 27 on the upper end of rod 25 a.tthe top of the door. door,11 has an opening 51 in its edge which allows the bolt to'enter between the latches 42 and 43 while held in the extended position by weight 40. It is obvious that either of thebolts 15 or 35 while thus firmlv held The casing orwill press the" two latches apart and that when the latches return to normal position because of their gravity action, the bolt will be securely caught by said keepers and cannot be withdrawn except when it is moved by means of turning knob 22. Thus the boltcan, enter between the two latches but cannot escape therefrom as long as it extends beyond' the edge of the door.

In order to lock the entire series of bolts in the extended position so they cannot be withdrawn by turning knob cylinder lock 52 with bolt 53 is so that bolt 53 may be inserted by the operation ofthe lock 52 between the inner end of plate 16 and the side of the casing around the lock '12, thereby preventing the movement of the plate 16 and all the bolts of the different locks.

It is apparent that either one of the provided in look 12 latches 42 or 43 would alone be suflicient to hold either one of bolts 15 or well as the two keepers. Such a modification would not depart from my invention.

e keepers or latches take the place of a striking plate on the door jamb'or -ad jacent door as in double doors, and the engagement of the 'bolt is entirely within this striking plate or latch,- thus departing en-.

35 nearly as tirely from the usual form of latches or locks as used upon doors at the present time.

In order to withdraw the bolts from their extended position it is apparent that the links 25 and 38 will invariably have a pulling strain as they are actuated by the mas- This is essential since if a pushing strain Y to withdraw these bolts in order to unlock the door in times of intense heat when the rods become so heated that they will bend and turn, it is apparent that the pushing strain woul cause the links to vbend and thereby block the action of the lock, rendering the operator unable to withdraw the bolts. lVith my arrangement of these bolts and link connections so that there is invariably a ing strain it is obvious that no such mishap can occur. It is also obvious that all these parts may be attached to the outside of the door and a suitable casing provided for them so that they may be attached to any form of door.

I claim as new:

i 1. A latch comprising a slidably mounted bolt, said bolt having an'opening therein, a shaft extending through said opening, a roll-back plate attached to said shaft within said opening to manually operate said bolt by turning said shaft, a bell crank connected to,said bolt, and a Weight pivotally hung from one arm of said bell crank to hold said bolt in the extended position.

2. A latch comprising a slidably mounted bolt, said bolt having an opening therein, a shaft extending through said opening, a roll-back plate attached to said shaft within said opening to manually operate said plate by turning said shaft, a bell crank connected'to said bolt, a weight pivotally hung from one arm of said bell crank to hold said bolt in the extended position, and suitable means for locking said bolt in the extended position.

3. A latch comprising a slidably mounted bolt, said bolt having an opening therein,

' and raise said a shaft extending through said opening, a roll-back plate attached to said shaft within said opening to manually operate said plate by turning said shaft, a bell crank connected to said bolt, a weight pivotally hung from one arm of said bell crankto hold said bolt in the extended position, and a key actuated bolt to lock and hold said slidable bolt.

4. A multiple latch comprising a plurality of slidably mount-ed bolts, a suspended weight to hold said bolts normally bethem to that position when withdrawn, suitable means for keeping said bolts, and means'in the central latch for manually withdrawing all of said bolts from said keeping means weight.

5. A multiple latch consisting of a plurality of slidably mounted bolts, bell cranks connected to said bolts to slidably move the same, link connection for said bell cranks, a weight on one of said bell cranks to actuate said bolts in one direction, and means for manually actuating said bell cranks in the opposite direction. I

6. A multiple latch comprising a plurality of gravity actuated bolts, bell cranks connected to said bolts to slidably actuate the same, links connecting said bell cranks, a shaft and knob for manually turning one of said bell cranks to thereby withdraw all ofsaid bolts, a weight on one of said links to return said bolts to a normally extended position beyond the edge of the door, and suitable keepers for said bolts having openings to receive said bolts when in the extended position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of witnesses.

ARVID W. EKBERG.

two subscribing Witnesses H. U. HARRIS, 

